[AMERICANS ABROAD]Alexandre Lacombe, president of French club Sochaux, said Charlie Davies will not play for the Ligue 1 club this season, dealing a blow to the striker's bid to make the U.S. World Cup team after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident last October. But the 23-year-old striker remains hopeful he'll play.

Davies has been rehabilitating in France for two months and hoped to return to action this spring.

"He will not play again in Ligue 1 this season," Lacombe told L'Est Republicain. "He is in good health and that's the main thing."

Davies resumed training at Sochaux last month, saying he was "closer and closer to being back" and it was "great to prove people wrong." Despite Lacombe's remarks, Davies still hopes to resume playing soon.

“I am still very hopeful of playing this season. We will see come the next couple of weeks,” Davies told AP on Thursday. “I’ve made so much progress to get to where I am now that it’s not impossible for me to play this season.”

Davies says playing in the World Cup has motivated him during his recovery.

"Since leaving his wheelchair, he has gone through a lot physically to come back," Lacombe added. "We know he could well suffer a blow to his morale if he misses the World Cup, the beacon that has guided him since his accident."

Davies' injuries included two broken bones in his right leg, a broken and dislocated left elbow, a broken nose, forehead and eye socket, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on the brain.

His elbow injuries in particular have been a concern.

While the deadline for the U.S. World Cup coach Bob Bradley to name his short list of 30 players is May 11, he has until June 1 to cut that list down to 23 players.

Bradley will hold an eight-day camp at Princeton University. Players and coaches will begin to report May 15 for the eight-day camp. The first training session is scheduled for May 17 at Roberts Field.

Davies isn't the only starter from the 2009 Confederations Cup runner-up team who has been sidelined.

Oguchi Onyewu injured his knee a day after Davies' accident and hasn't played for AC Milan since then.

Ricardo Clark hasn't played for Eintracht Frankfurt's first team since arriving from the Houston Dynamo in January.

Stuart Holden suffered a broken leg in last month's U.S. friendly against the Netherlands but hopes to return to action for Bolton Wanderers before the end of the English Premier League season on May 9.